On 16 January 2014, the Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced the establishment of a new Centre of Excellence for Research on disaster management and flood mitigation.
The Center will be financed by the Long Term Research Grant Scheme and Fundamental Reserach Grant Scheme to advance research in the fields of disaster management and flood mitigation in the country.
The great importance of the Centre for enhancing disaster management in the country was emphasized Muhyiddin: "Landslides, haze and floods often occur in our country, and there needs to be a comprehensive and effective approach to disaster management."
In particular, the necessity to minimise damages to schools and tertiary institutions was emphasized, due to the widespread destruction caused by recent floods that affected the country.
